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Tulsa Nationals deliver elite youth wrestling event
By Ron Holt | Photos Courtesy World of Wrestling
TULSA , Okla . – The Super Bowl of wrestling . The World Series of wrestling . The Toughest Tournament in the World .
Those three descriptions have often been used to depict the reputation of the prestigious Flo Tulsa Nationals youth wrestling tournament , which annually attracts thousands of entries nationwide .
Around 2,800 youth wrestlers are expected to compete in the open division and girls ’ division at the 63 rd annual Flo Tulsa Nationals , scheduled Jan . 18-20 at the Expo Square Pavilion in Tulsa .
Opening ceremonies for the World of Wrestling-Roller Productions event begin at 5:45 p . m . on Thursday , Jan . 18 , while wrestling begins at 7 p . m . Wrestling begins at 8:30 a . m . and 2:30 p . m . Friday , Jan . 19 . The Parade of Champions begins at 5 p . m . on Saturday , Jan . 20 , with the finals starting at 6 p . m . The tourney is also the second leg of the prestigious Trinity Award . To capture a Trinity Award , wrestlers must win the Flo Kickoff Classic , the Flo Tulsa Nationals and the Reno World Championships .
The tournament started as an open tournament in 1956 after a group of concerned wrestling fans wanted to build strong youth wrestling programs . Elementary and junior high wrestlers competed in the same division in the first event . The following year , the tourney , which was called the Junior Olympics , was divided into
elementary and junior high divisions .
From that beginning , the Flo Tulsa Nationals has grown into the premier youth wrestling tournament in the nation . Several Tulsa National wrestlers have gone on to successful collegiate careers and several former Tulsa National wrestlers experienced success in world events as well as the Olympic Games . Jack Roller , director of the World of Wrestling events , is entering his 39 th year as the Flo Tulsa Nationals ’ tournament director . Promoting wrestling and making this tournament enjoyable and memorable for the kids have always been important to Roller and his staff .
Besides providing stiff competition in each weight class , the Tulsa Nationals also features impressive awards , the opportunity to win a Trinity Award , be part of the World of Wrestling ’ s National Rankings and be a member of the World All-Star team .
All-session tickets are $ 10 while student tickets are $ 4 .
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